NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the success of the 'Power' brand, which is witnessing an increase of 15 per cent quarter on quarter, India's largest manufacturer and marketer of footwear products Bata India Limited today announced the launch of a new range in the 'Power' category and that it would move its headquarters to Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi from Kolkata.

The company has also introduced, for the first time, what it calls a

`revolutionary product’ in the field of comfort footwear: Reverso.

According to Bata India Ltd MD Stephen J Davies, "The launch of the new range is part of our overall strategy to be future ready and face competition head on. The emphasis is also on presenting a contemporary and trendy brand image, which translates to both its product and corporate culture."

Though recognised as a household name in India, a financially beleaguered Bata has managed to capture 24 per cent market share in the organised footwear market. The company is now looking at a turnover of Rs.8,400 million by the end of next year.

As a step towards rejuvenating the Bata brand, the company is repositioning itself as a market driven, fashion conscious lifestyle brand with an emphasis on service and production.

The company recently introduced international styles and trends for women, men and kids, which have gone a long way in providing a trendy and contemporary image to the company.

Revamping its marketing operations, Bata India has introduced the concepts Flagship, City, Family and Bazaar stores that cater to different segments of the market. Further, to capture the retail boom prevailing in the country, the company has decided to move its headquarters to Gurgaon this year.

The company's conscious decision to cleanse its wholesale business by building relationships with credit-worthy buyers and converting three of its wholesale depots to 'cash-n-carry' on a trial basis has started to show positive result.

In a bid to improve its logistics and distribution system, Bata has made investments to the tune of Rs.20 million in the current year. Large investments have also been made in the area of IT to integrate approximately 150 stores on a real-time basis.

Pointing out that a recent restructuring of the company’s retail division is expected to add a fresh impetus to the vision of continuing to be a truly global retailer, Davies said that offering products to today's fashion conscious youth as well as people from all walks of life is a challenge.

Today, Bata today sells over 60 million pairs of shoes annually throughout India and in overseas markets such as the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East and Far East.

The company also markets international brands like Weinbrenner, Hush Puppies, Dr Scholls, Reebok, Adidas, and Azaleia. The other most popular Bata brands include Power, Marie Claire, Bata School Shoes, Sandak, Bubblegummers, Bata Hawai and Bata Industrial.